Month: January 2015

T20

Cricket Australia fixtured Australia A and Pakistan for a t20 match at Adelaide Oval on January 13, 2005 but two domestic teams got a jump on this.

The first T20 match in Australia was a domestic match between WA and Victoria at the WACA the night before on 12 January 2005 . The WACA was a sellout with 20,000 fans turning up to see a Victorian side with Shane Warne take on Western Australia.

The Vics were in Perth for a 50 over game a couple of days later. My recollections and research have not unearthed how exactly this match was organised, but I do seem to recall the always innovative Western Australian Cricket Association making it happen.

The Vics made 141 batting first but were swept aside by Luke Ronchi (before he became a Kiwi) who belted 67 off 24 balls to guide WA to victory in just 12.1 overs

It is easily forgotten now in the era of endless glove changes and unscheduled drinks breaks by the men in fluro vests but T20 was initially designed to be very fast paced with continuous action – new batsmen had 90 seconds to take guard after the fall of a wicket and ran out to the centre, timeframes for bowling overs were strict and incurred penalties. In this match both Australia A and Pakistan incurred a six-run penalty for a slow over-rate.

Cricket Australia are really keen to have matches where Australia plays against Australia.

In November 2008, as a prelude to the international Summer a T20 match was played at the Gabba the Sunday before the first test. The match was between the Australian Cricketers Association All Stars XI (the best of the state based Big Bash from the previous season plus the recently retired Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer) and an Australian XI featuring most of the Australian T20 team.

In 2010 the format changed slightly with the Australian Test players not involved in the match. Instead it was the Australian Crickets Association All Stars XI versus the Aussie Fans XI and it’s fair to say the concept fell flat.

It felt like Australia A v Australia B without the Test stars and of the retired legends that had played previously only Matthew Hayden fronted this time.

Hayden had a good time skippering the Fans XI to victory, making a few runs with his long handled Mongoose bat and, as all good captains should, brought himself on for a bowl and took a wicket.

Matthew Hayden led the Dutch team to victory. Sorry the Fans XI to victory.

The Western Australian Festival of Cricket organisation didn’t rest on it’s laurels when the Lilac Hill match was wound up instead they found a new location, Aquinas College, Perth, and a new format, T20, to start up another festival match tradition.

In 2013 the new era began with an Australia XI v World XI match but in 2014 the game was a warm up match for the Perth Sorchers BBL campaign with the Scorchers taking on a Legends XI including many former Australian greats plus Brian Lara.

The match was streamed live on the Cricket Australia website and could well become an annual event – all Big Bash teams are looking for warm up matches prior to the BBL season.

2. Andrew Johns plays for New South Wales, January 7 & 10, 2007

T20 cricket was seen as a joke – well at least by the powers that be at Cricket New South Wales when rugby league legend Andrew Johns padded up for the Blues in 2 T20 matches in 2007.

This was the second season of the state t20 competition and it is fair to say it was very different to the current Big Bash League.

Johns presence was purely a promotional tool as he only played in NSW’s two home matches and the experiment was somewhat farcical.

The first match was against South Australia in Johns home town of Newcastle. Johns bowled 1 over and batted at number 11. He faced just one ball as Simon Katich refused him the strike in the last over.

In his second match against Tasmania Johns made 9 off 10 balls.

1. Super 8s, Cairns, Townsville, Brisbane, July-August 1996.

Points to you if you have ever heard of this. It is real and it is strange.

In July 1996 Super 8s commenced with the six Australian states playing a weekend of matches in Cairns, followed by a weekend in Townsville and then a finals weekend at the Gabba. If you can explain the finals system used in Brisabane you are a smarter than me.

The rules of Super 8s were:

Teams of 8 players

Matches of 14 overs with 7 players (all except the keeper) having to bowl between 1 to 3 overs

Hits over the fence were worth 8 not 6

Batsmen had to retire at 50 but could return if the rest of the team went out

The last man standing rule applied – when only one not out batsman remained he continued batting with a runner until dismissed

Here is Justin Langer belting 84* off 18 balls in Townsville. The games in Townsville were played at the North Queensland Cowboys rugby league stadium hence the unusual boundaries.

The three weekends in Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane lost over $1 million and the annual event did not eventuate with 1996 being the first and last year of the domestic Super 8s.

An interesting footnote:

The ACB believed Super 8s would be a ‘third generation’ of cricket and held International Super 8s tournaments in Kaula Lumpur in July 1996 and August 1997. Plans were afoot to have a World Super 8s at the WACA in October 1998 but never eventuated. More info is here.

Here are my top 12 Michael Bevan one day innings – some you may recall some you may never have heard of.

12. 105 Australia A v England, SCG, 12 January 1995

Australia A needed to win this match and overtake England on net run rate to make the finals of the World Series in 1994/95. Bevan had been in the Australian team at the start of the tournament but dropped down to Australia A.

Batting first Australia A needed to set a big total and Bevan (105 off 102 balls) and Greg Blewett, who both made centuries as the team made 269, set England a total and a net run rate target that proved beyond them.

In the first game of international cricket played indoors at the Docklands stadium in Melbourne Australia were struggling at 3 for 37 in the 12th over when Bevan, batting at number 4, combined with Steve Waugh for a 222 run partnership.

When Bevan was out for 106 in the 46th over the total was 259; the recovery mission was complete and Australia recorded an easy 94 run victory. South Africa must have been sick of the sight of Bevan and Steve Waugh by 2000.

For the 10 year anniversary of the Australian Cricket Academy a match was played a the Adelaide Oval between the Cricket Academy and Australia.

The Cricket Academy XI batted first and boasting a batting line up of Michael Slater, Adam Gilchrist, Greg Blewett, Stuart Law and Ricky Ponting ran up a total of 277.

Led by fast bowlers Paul “Blocker” Wilson (now an international umpire) and a young Brett Lee, 2 years before his test debut when he was still Shane Lee’s brother, the Academy team reduced Australia to 5 for 77.

Michael Bevan had never previously scored a domestic one day hundred and choose the perfect time to do so – the Mercantile Mutual Cup final in 2000/01.

Western Australia had scored 272 off their 50 overs and New South Wales looked to be up against it with a line up of 4 batsmen, 2 all rounders and 5 bowlers. Opening with Brad Haddin, a young Michael Clarke made a half century but it was Bevan, batting at number 3, who guided NSW home with an unbeaten 135 of 137 balls against a bowling line up of Jo Angel, Brad Williams, Brendon Julian, Tom Moody and Brad Hogg (who went the journey: 7 – 0 – 47-0)

It is interesting to note in the WA innings, Michael Hussey, made a quickfire 84 from 68 balls with 11 boundaries batting at number 6 (below Brendon Julian!) Hussey had been a gritty opener for WA but after being dropped from their one day side reinvented him self as a dashing finsher batting down the order.

Michael Bevan played his best when the stakes were highest, here he was the top scorer from both teams in what is considered by some to be the greatest one day game ever played.

Australia had been reduced to 4-68 off 16 overs by Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald; who else but Steve Waugh – fresh off his 120* against South Africa that got Australia into the semi finals – and Michael Bevan got Australia back on track with half centuries. After Waugh departed and Alan Donald blew away the tail, Bevan was last man out for 65 off 110 balls.

Australia had already lost to the West Indies i the group stage of the World Cup and were in serious trouble when Micahel Bevan joined Stuart Law a the crease with the score 4/15 in the Semi final in Mohali.

The top 4 of M Waugh (0), Taylor (1 off 11 balls ), Ponting (0 off 15 balls) and S Waugh (3) had been blown away by Curtley Ambrose and Ian Bishop.

Law (72 off 105 balls) and Bevan (69 off 110 balls) survived and then slowly accumulated runs to give the Australian total some respectability. Australia managed 8 for 207 thanks to the 138 run partnership between Law and Bevan – at the time the 3rd highest 5th wicket partnership in World Cups.

The West Indies were cruising at 2/165 and Australia tried everything – even Stuart Law bowling leg spin. The Windies then rearraned their batting order, promoting hitters Roger Harper and Otis Gibson, panicked and imploded in spectacular fashion losing their last 8 wickets for 37 runs to lose by 5 runs.

The collapse

5. 103 Australia v South Africa, Centurion Park, 10 April 1997

This was the 6th match of a 7 game ODI series against South Africa with Australia leading 3-2 after 5 matches.

Australia was a team in transition- Michael DiVenuto debuted opening the innings, Adam Gilchrist took the gloves for the suspended Ian Healy before playing as a batsmen only when Healy returned.

Mark Taylor was dropped after 2 matches and Australia had 3 different captains in the 7 games – Taylor, Ian Healy and Steve Waugh.

Adam Gilchrist, batting at 6, and Ian Healy were at the crease when the winning runs were scored.

Australia had won the 7 match ODI series with a game to spare.

4. 102* Australia v New Zealand, MCG, 29 January 2002

A familiar tale, New Zealand ran up 245 and in reply Australia collapsed to be 6 for 82.

Enter Bevan slowly accumulating at first, apparently unfussed by the climbing required run rate and then knowing exactly when and how to accelerate the scoring rate as his innings developed and the target came within sight.

This was the final group match for England and Australia – England needed to win to make it through to the Super 6 stage, Australia were looking to maintain their unbeaten record so far in the World Cup.

Australia slumped to 4/48 before Darren Lehmann momentarily stemmed tide with Bevan and then Australia collapsed again to be floundering at 8/135. This brought the irrepressible Bichel to the crease and he combined with Bevan to guide Australia home in the final over with 2 balls to spare.

For something called ICC Cricket Week in Dhaka, I think to celebrate Bangladesh’s inclusion as a Test playing nation, a one day game was played between an Asia XI and a Rest of the World XI.

Batting first the Asia XI made 320 and the Rest of the World XI were up against it facing a monster chase. Enter Michael Bevan who made 185 not out off 132 balls with 19 4’s and 5 6’s when no other batsmen made more than 28.

At 7/196 after 37 overs Bevan found an unlikely allie in number 9, Andy Caddick (batting ludicrously high up the order) and the pair put on 119 in 13 overs.

With 20 runs required to win off the final over Caddick managed a leg bye off the first ball then Bevan hit three consecutive 4’s off Abdul Razzaq.

2 balls left and 7 runs required, Andy Caddick didn’t bother grounding his bat returning for the second run and was run out. It left 6 runs needed off the last ball, Bevan hit it for 4 and the Asia XI won by 1 run.

1. 78* Australia v West Indies, SCG, January 1 1996

The original and still the best – the game that made Michael Bevan’s reputation as a one day player.

Bevan expertly worked with the tail notably Paul Reifell who made 34 off 48 balls to get Australia close. But when number 11 Glenn McGrath took strike with 3 balls left Australia still needed 5 runs for victory.

We all know what happened next. Here it is.

The long version

The short version

Have I missed any great Bevan innings? Let me know in the comments below.

Australia playing…. Australia

The World Series Cup consisting of Australia and two touring teams playing triangular one day competition had been a staple of the Australian summer for more than a decade when the Australian Cricket Board decided to do something a little bit different in the summer of 1994/95.

England were touring for the Ashes and the other national team to make up the three cornered hat was Zimbabwe. Judging that Zimbabwe wouldn’t provide stiff enough opposition or draw a crowd or something along those lines the powers that be decided adding another Australian team – Australia A – into the mix to make it a 4 team competition and have more games featuring an Australian side was the way to go.

Australia on the left, Australia A on the right

The Australia A team from 1994/95 reads like an Australian Test batting line up line up from about 2003/04. Nearly all the batsmen had either represented Australia or went onto careers for Australia in one form of cricket or another. The bowling was not as strong with a number of players who didn’t even have notable first class careers appearing.

Australia A tema for the first final. Other squad members included Darren Lehmann, Tom Moody and Merv Hughes.

For many years Cricket Australia have run an Emerging Players Tournament from the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, usually inviting a couple of another nations to send along a team of up and comers to test themselves out against one another in the cricket off-season of July-August.

In 2014 Cricket Australia revived memories of 1994/95 by holding Quadrangular A Team limited overs series featuring India A, South Africa A, Australia A and NPS in Darwin.

The NPS (National Performance Squad) not to be confused with the NSP (National Selection Panel) another important TLA (Three Letter Acronym) from CA (Cricket Australia) regularly heard within the COE (Centre of Excellence)

Sean Abbott of the NPS in yellow, with an Australia A batsmen in green behind.

The NPS consisted of younger, up and coming players who hadn’t made the Australia A team and I guess is just a new term for EP (Emerging Players) but it’s hard to think it’s not the Underperforming Squad when Alex Keath captained the team for a game….

Back to the cricket, NPS defeated Australia A in the first of two games in Darwin. It wasn’t even close with the NSP winning by 52 runs however it was their only win of the tournament.

Strong performances by Sean Abbott in this series lead to him being selected for Australian limited overs honours in Dubai few months later.

Also the rarely seen 3rd place playoff was back with the NPS losing to India A

8. Australia v Australia A, SCG, 14 December 1997

Three years after the quadrangle experiment in 1994/95 it was decided it would be a good idea to revive the Australia v Australia A concept.

It was a particularly fractured time to do so given that Australia had for the first time in 1997 decided to go with separate one day and Test captains on a permanent basis: Mark Taylor was Test skipper and Steve Waugh was one day captain.

Ian Healy had also been dropped from the one day side for Adam Gilchrist but remained as Test keeper and played in this match as the Australia A keeper.

For the 10 year anniversary of the Australian Cricket Academy a match was played a the Adelaide Oval between the Cricket Academy and Australia.

The Cricket Academy XI batted first and boasting a batting line up of Michael Slater, Adam Gilchrist, Greg Blewett, Stuart Law and Ricky Ponting ran up a total of 277.

Led by fast bowlers Paul “Blocker” Wilson (now an international umpire) and a young Brett Lee, 2 years before his test debut when he was still Shane Lee’s brother, the Academy team reduced Australia to 5 for 77.

The names that stick out in the Cricket Academy XI are Dan Marsh as he was the only one not to go on to represent Australia and I’m pretty sure Michael Kasprowicz didn’t go to the Cricket Academy.

Here is Brett Lee dismissing Steve Waugh and his brother Shane Lee in the same over.

6. New South Wales v Australia, North Sydney Oval, 18 February 1992

This match was a warm up match for the 1992 World Cup. The New South Wales line up included Australian World Cup squad members Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Mike Whitney, experienced Australian players Greg Matthews and Geoff Lawson and a young Michael Bevan.

Batting first Australia made 277 thanks to a David Boon century and some late hitting by Tom Moody. All 4 wickets to fall were taken by New South Wales stalwart Brad ‘Burger Flipper’ McNamara.

In reply it was the lesser known Steve Small who led the way for New South Wales opening the batting with a run a ball hundred. Over to Cricinfo to describe the finish:

“Scores were level after 49.2 overs of NSW’s innings. No run was scored on the third ball and wickets fell on each of the final three balls of the match ([Greg] Matthews being run out attempting the winning run off the final delivery).”

A practice match in preparation for Australia’s tour of Zimbabwe. Steve Waugh’s team was basically the 1999 World Cup winning team and Healy’s was the rest. Despite Michael Slater making a century for the Healy XI, the Waugh XI were too strong.

The day Victoria nearly upset Australia. A full strength Australian team, including Victorian’s Shane Warne and Ian Harvey, played this match as preparation for the ODI tri-series starting a few days later.

Australia scored 271 off their 50 overs with Damien Martyn allowed to bat twice. In reply Victoria was led by 84 to Matthew Elliott and fell just 3 runs short of victory – all out for 269 in 49.1 overs.

D. Queensland v Australia, Allan Border Field, 1 August 2014

The Queensland side was bolstered by some Australian players and Dave Warner made headlines for refusing to wear the Queensland Bulls uniform when offered by Queensland coach Stuart Law. It was a bit of a beat up really as explained in the Courier Mail:

Cricket Australia officials were at pains to point out that all non-Queenslanders in the Bulls line-up wore Australian training apparel.

In response, Australia got off to a strong start thanks to Aaron Finch (90 off 66 balls), and some late big hitting from Steve Smith (66 not out off 40 balls) and James Faulkner (43 not out off 16 balls) got Darren Lehmann’s men over the line.

Young all-rounder Mitchell Marsh (2-24) bowled well at the death and backed that up with the bat, hitting 42 runs.

Dave Warner opening the batting for Queensland in his Australian gear.

World XI Matches

The Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 affected hundreds of thousands of people across South East Asia and beyond, in terms of cricket nations India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were affected with the Sri Lankan team abandoning a tour of New Zealand that was occurring at the time.

This match was 50 overs per side and was given one day international status – the first time a match not featuring two cricket nations was given this status. Some cricket statisticians don’t acknowledge this as an international match and it is hard to imagine Glen McGrath batting at number 6 for Australia in an ODI as he did in this match.

The significance of this decision to recognise this match as an international match is probably better understood when put in the context of the next entry on this list.

Both sides were made up of current players with the ICC World XI containing Australians, New Zealanders and West Indians including Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Brian Lara plus Darren Gough and the Asian XI featuring players from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka including Sachin Tendualker, Muttiah Muralitharan, Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly. The scorecard is here.

Ricky Ponting thrilled the crowd of 70,101 with a century at better than a run a ball and won the man of the match award. The match raised $17 million for the Tsunami Appeal.

This match was meant to be one of two World Cricket Tsunami Appeal matches but the second, due to be held in Kolkota in February, was first rescheduled to April and then cancelled.

Due to Australia’s dominance of both Test match cricket and One Day cricket across the preceding 5 or so years years, the ICC decided to hold the ICC Super Series with a World XI taking on Australia in 3 One Day matches under the roof of the Docklands stadium in Melbourne followed by a 6 day Super Test at the SCG. To give the matches credibility and gravitas they were conferred international status – following the precedent that was set by the Tsunami Appeal match.

The 3 matches drew crowds of 18,000, 29,000 and 31,000 people. Australia dominated the series and won 3-0. Batting first in each match Australia ran up a total that proved beyond the World XI and none of the three matches were close with the margins being 93 runs, 55 runs and 112 runs. The World XI batting line up was limp in it’s efforts and failed to make 200 in two matches and in the final match was bowled out for just 137 in 28 overs.

Some interesting notes from the Australian line up was Simon Katich opening – that brief period of time I have tried to erase from my memory – plus Mike Hussey and Shane Watson batting at number 7 and number 8 respectively.

KP had a series to remember scoring 2 and 16 (batting at number 8) and was omitted from the 3rd match.

Behind the facade of disinterest Chris Gayle was extremely excited about playing in the ICC Super Series

Another thing these matches had was the short lived Super Sub. One player could be replaced by the 12th man or Super Sub at a point in the game but each team 11 players bat and field. Makes sense? Not really, and I can’t be bothered explaining it any further as it was as pointless as it was shortlived.

Cameron White made his ODI debut in the first match as the Super Sub

First match White was Super-subbed for Damien Martyn to field but did not bowl. Second match White was Super-subbed to field for Simon Katich and bowled 3 overs for 22 runs. Third match White made it into the starting XI but didn’t bat or bowl. So in his first 3 ODIs Cameron White bowled 3 overs and did not bat. Super.

Shane Watson souvenirs a stump

The highlight – Mike Hussey hitting the roof at Docklands stadium, a feat that had previously been thought to be unachievable.

15. Victoria v World XI, Junction Oval, October 2, 2005

What could be stranger than a country playing against a World XI? A state playing against a World XI in a warm up tour match at a suburban venue that is now considered unfit for cricket.

The Junction Oval in St Kilda is apparently so dilapidated that it’s not even fit for a dog to poo on it let alone for it to host a first class cricket match for Victoria [except that there will be a World Cup warm up match there between UAE and Afganistan in February]

Makhaya Ntini and the Junction Oval in it’s hey day when it hosted cricket matches.

Thankfully that wasn’t the case back in 2005 and 13 of the world’s best cricketers took on the might of Victoria featuring Michael Klinger, Brad Hodge, Dave Hussey, Cameron White, Mick Lewis and Shane “Stickers” Harwood.

There was no toss and the ICC World XI batted first (perhaps that was a mistake – they had to chase in each game against Australia) and slumped to 7/195 before captain Shaun Pollock saved there blushes with a half century to lead the team to 281. KP’s tour started brightly with 5.

KP had a day out at the Junction Oval with 5.

In reply Victoria manged 9/269 thanks to 92 to Brad Hodge and 62 to Michael Klinger and fell just 13 runs short of victory against a team of the world’s best cricketers.

14. Australia v World XI, MCG, March 21, 1996

This match was arranged for the centenary of the Victorian Cricket Association and $25,000 prizemoney was on offer. The match was held just 4 days after Australia had lost the 1996 World Cup final to Sri Lanka in Lahore,Pakistan.

The Australian team was similar to the line up in the World Cup final with squad players Michael Slater, Shane Lee and Jason Gillespie replacing Ricky Ponting, Stuart Law and Glenn McGrath.

The World XI featured current players from the World Cup including Sanath Jayasuriya, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Arivinda de Silva from the victorious Sri Lankan team plus South Africa’s Shaun Pollock and Jonty Rhodes and Zimbabwean’s Heath Streak and legspinner Paul Strang.

Victorian hero Dean Jones who hadn’t played for Australia for 2 years played for the World XI against Australia. He scored a century, brought up with a six of Mark Waugh in the last over, which the ACB claimed to be his only international century at the MCG. However this match was not classed as a One Day International although the ACB and VCA did initially include it in their records.

I can’t find any video footage of this match but if you find some let me know.

13. Bradman XI v World XI, SCG, 18 December, 1994

This was a charity match which, if I remember correctly, was organised to raise money to build the Bradman Museum in Bowral. If you know otherwise please let me know.

The teams consisted of former international cricketers, a few celebreties like Fatty Vautin (a year after ‘that’ catch), Ernie Dingo and Gary Sweet plus current cricketers notably Brian Lara and Australian Women’s cricketer Zoe Goss. And it was these two players who provided the moment everyone remembers from this match, when Zoe Goss dismissed Brian Lara – here it is.

Here are the full teams and 1 hour highlights of both innings can be watched here and here.

One strange thing about the match was why did the teams wear outfits that looked like baseball uniforms? It was a charity cricket match for the greatest cricketer of all time, Sir Donald Bradman. Was it Ian Chappell’s idea? He does love baseball.

12. World Legends of Cricket in Australia, Australian Masters v World Masters, March 1998

In the mid 1990’s there seemed to be a bit of a push to get a “Masters” circuit running with former legends of the game much in the way there is a seniors tour for golf and tennis. There had been a 4 game South Africa Masters v World Masters series 6 months prior to this and a World Legends Cup in May 1999.

The promoters of this three match series of Australia Masters v World Masters, whoever they were, didn’t quite hit the mark. Despite attracting a decent contingent of legends from overseas the Australian XIII was underwhelming with fewer big names and more fringe players. For example Trevor Chappell played in these matches rather than Greg.

There was also the venues for the matches. Rather then being played at international venues the three matches were played at Princes Park in Melbourne – a venue better known as home of Carlton Football Club but which did host some Victorian Shield matches in the mid 1990’s, North Sydney Oval in Sydney and Coffs Harbour.

The crowd at Princes Park was a miserable 1000 people. It improved a little in NSW with 5000 at Coffs Harbour and 6500 at North Sydney.

I do recall listening to the first match on ABC radio but as far as I remember these matches weren’t broadcast on Channel 9 or another TV network. I can only imagine whoever organised this series of matches lost a lot of money.

Testimonial Matches

23. Alan Border Tribute Match, Gabba, 19 December 1993

This was the game made famous by Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin’s one handed catch and then etched in my memory as ‘Fatty’s F***cken Catch’ by Billy Birmingham on the Wired World of Sports tapes where you could win “Five Dollars CASSSSH Cold Hard Cash” for picking the favourite classic catch. In case this hasn’t jogged your memory here is the catch.

This match was 40 overs per side with the International XI playing the Alan Border XI with a mix of current Australian cricketers, retired international stars and some rugby league legends on both sides.

The Alan Border XI included:

Alan Border

Ian Healy

Carl Rackerman

Craig McDermott

Greg Ritchie

Jeff Thompson

Paul Vautin

Alan Langer

Wally Lewis

The match was ahead of it’s time. If you think players miked up and cameras on helmets are new concepts brought about by T20 cricket and the Big Bash League – think again. Admittedly they are much more bulky than the current versions, but check out the cameras worn by the umpire and Peter Stirling back in 1993.

30,000 people turned out to watch this 40 over tribute match featuring an Allan Border lead team against a Dean Jones lead side. The usual ensemble cast of AFL footballers and current and former international cricketers plus, of all things – Plucka Duck.

Fair to say that Garry Ablett could turn his hand to any sport and Stephen Kernaghan was no good at cricket.

21. David Boon Testimonial Match, MCG, November 1996

David Boon had two testimonial matches in November 1996, one in Launceston at the NTCA ground followed by this one televised by Channel 9 at the MCG.

A yellow ball was used for the 40 over a side game game which featured split innings of 2 lots of 20 overs per side.

The players were a similar mixture to the Allan Border match but replace the rugby league players with AFL players.

There were two odities: the two teams were David Boon’s “Southern Sons” and Alan Border’s “Island Kings” and both teams wore giant shirts.

Here is Richard Hadlee taking the long handle to Shane Warne and Michael Slaterhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoEp8TbzJRk

20. Ian Healy Testimonial Match, Gabba, 21 December 2000

Ian Healy was not happy when he was cut form the Australian test team in October 1999 and pleaded for a farewell Test match at the Gabba. It wasn’t to be, instead Ian Healy lead his Australian XI against the Rest of the World XI in a 45 over match at the Gabba in December 2000.

The teams were current or former cricketers save for tennis player Pat Rafter and rugby league legend Allan Langer.

Just over a month after Shane Warne retired from international cricket the MCG played host to the Gillette Fusion charity match between the Shane Warne XI and the Pat Rafter XI.

The T20 match lacked any international stars or current players as the Australian team was touring New Zealand at the time and instead the teams were filled with Channel 9 personalities and comedians. It was a more low key affair than previous testimonial matches despite being televised on Channel 9.

The Ricky Ponting XI took on the Adam Gilchrist XI with teams packed full of former Australian cricketers plus some AFL footballers.

The Ponting XI wore the marroon and gold of Ponting’s junior club, Mowbray, whose home ground is just a short distance away from York Park in Launceston.

One of the lower profile players was Shaun Young, the Burnie local who played 1 test for Australia in 1997.Tasmanian wicketkeeper Tim Paine missed the game after he was bitten by an insect while walking his dog on a beach and was hospitalised.

The T20 match drew the biggest crowd ever for a cricket match in Tasmania with 17,771 fans attending but strangely the match wasn’t televised.